Wednesday, 8 July 2015

Day three of camp is often pivotal, for more reasons than it is the middle of the week. Day three sees those who have grown in stature grow even further, and those yet to relax either feel the new found freedom or shrink back to the cave of safety, almost certain not to venture out into camp's sunlight at all.

You really need to take on everything on day three, or the week is lost. I had forewarned the gang last night how the day would work, and that their first activity was not watersports, as they previously suspected, but the art, pain and tribulation of getting in to a wetsuit. However, some of the gang decided that they would start early. Kiera and Bayleigh wandered up the breakfast hall early to help set up. Why? Because they felt like being nice, apparently. Legendary.

Wetsuit donning went with its usual graceless hilarity. Mr Osborn and myself sprayed several boys into their suits with the world renowned "grab them by the hips and shake them up and down" approach. Even Billy-Joe chuckled with audible delight.

Watersports itself is always one of my personal highlights anyway, and our new company had us all set up within minutes. We filled Exmouth sea coast with so many surfers and body boarders that we must've looked like we were invading. At one point, I got so excited I flung my bodyboard up in the air. Soz about that everyone, especially the person whose head it landed on.

Why was I so excited? Because the first of our "look at me, I'm actually stood up surfing" legends was up on his board. William was closely followed by Katie F, Bayleigh, Taya and Mason. So many others got within a whisker, and despite the freezing temperatures, everyone was getting literally stuck in.

Then came the legends at the other end of the scale. I knew Kane wouldn't fancy watersports too much, but like the trojan he is, he got himself up to his knees and bodyboarding with the rest of them. Two smiling blond faces kept appearing next to me, and I realized Lainey May and Natalia were in with the rest of the hardcore surfers. And, despite being clearly frozen, Cheyanne and Ryan stayed on for the extra session.

In fact, when we sat down as a staff tonight and talked about who should go in the blog, we almost got to the stage of "who shouldn't we mention today?". Therefore, despite a few kamikaze sausages in the beach bbq, and tiredness taking a hold for one or two, day three has to be seen as a success.

That would normally be all, but I wanted to take one moment to mention a couple of legends not just because they surfed or scaled a wall or something big and showy. Legends are often legends because they just make the world a little nicer. One of our boys went to bed early, and the others in his tent seemed lost as to whether or not to go in. Mason came along and scooped them up and said (exact words) "You're all more than welcome in our tent lads!". Couldn't've done it better myself.

Furthermore, you see a lot of bravery on camp, but you don't often see it coupled with nobility and integrity. Someone took the fall for something they didn't do today, just to try and regain a treat for everyone else tomorrow. Special stuff, Katie W.

From behind a sunburnt face glowing just as much with joy, that is all

About Me

I am from Birmingham and married to Sue. We have two drains on our disposable income, called Ruben and Thea, who regret to inform us that they intend to resent our existence for the next 15 years or so, give or take. We live in Yatton, where we have lots of friends, and where we have a million barbeques a year. I play badminton, but try not to run or win, and support the greatest team in the universe - Aston Villa FC, as well as loving a bit of rugby, cricket, golf, tennis, ...